It's 2pm EST on April 30. Spoke with Pat last night and this morning. He and his team are at Lukla, and it's a chaotic mess, as you can imagine. When I spoke with Global Rescue about the situation, my contact said it's like trying to empty a full football stadium 1 car at a time. Word is that Global Rescue will pick them up tomorrow. In the meantime, they've miraculously found them a hotel for the night and Pat and team have food and water, so they're safe there. The US Embassy is prioritizing evacuating the injured from that area, as they should. So for healthy people with resources, it's about being patient and not getting caught up in rushing the choppers & planes as they land, to get on & down to Kathmandu. The GR guy said it's actually better to be in Lukla right now than Kathmandu. They're even encouraging their clients who are trekking down from Base Camp to Lukla to take their time, if they have enough supplies, because it's going to get worse for awhile.
On another note, saw a few neighbors yesterday as I walked our dogs and I just want to say how amazing & supportive they've been -- kind words, offers of food, drive-by hugs even! We're so lucky to have such good peeps around us, in our neighborhood, online, on the phone, in prayers and good vibes :)
Many many thanks
Kathy
In April 2014, I attempted to climb Mt. Everest before an avalanche in the icefall claimed the lives of 18 Sherpa. A year later (May 2015), I returned to Mt. Everest only to witness a 7.8 earthquake while at camp 1. I am preparing to climb again in April 2018 but this blog is dedicated to my purposeful pursuits. Please be sure to check out the charities that I support and follow me on twitter (@pem725) or instagram (pem725).
Thursday, April 30, 2015
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PEM
Latitude:27.68732
Longitude:86.73244
GPS location Date/Time:04/30/2015 07:38:40 EDT
Message:Climbing in Mt. Everest right now. All is well; please check the map to see our progress.
Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Latitude:27.68732
Longitude:86.73244
GPS location Date/Time:04/30/2015 07:38:40 EDT
Message:Climbing in Mt. Everest right now. All is well; please check the map to see our progress.
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/N9r5P/27.68732N/86.73244E
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Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
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PEM
Latitude:27.89407
Longitude:86.81974
GPS location Date/Time:04/28/2015 23:59:33 EDT
Message:Climbing in Mt. Everest right now. All is well; please check the map to see our progress.
Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Latitude:27.89407
Longitude:86.81974
GPS location Date/Time:04/28/2015 23:59:33 EDT
Message:Climbing in Mt. Everest right now. All is well; please check the map to see our progress.
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/N7-Vk/27.89407N/86.81974E
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Check-in/OK message from SPOT PEM
PEM
Latitude:28.00379
Longitude:86.85315
GPS location Date/Time:04/28/2015 19:14:35 EDT
Message:Climbing in Mt. Everest right now. All is well; please check the map to see our progress.
Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Latitude:28.00379
Longitude:86.85315
GPS location Date/Time:04/28/2015 19:14:35 EDT
Message:Climbing in Mt. Everest right now. All is well; please check the map to see our progress.
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/N7lY6/28.00379N/86.85315E
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Wrapping Up
Oh happy day! It's 7:30am EST & I just spoke with Pat. He & the entire team are off Camp 1 & in Base Camp. Global Rescue saved the day -- they were the only ones with a heli up there & they got everyone down. They will be inundated with chocolate & flowers :)
The plan is for him, along with 3 of his climbing mates James, Sam & Alex, to get picked up tomorrow morning Nepal time, & flown into Kathmandu off the mountain. They will see a completely different city than the one they flew into. But they've seen that at Base Camp too. Pat said his tent was right up against the ridge where the avalanche hit. He found his stuff, and miraculously, all that happened was that his tent was flipped over. I'm glad he wasn't in it.
He told me what happened to him up at Camp 1. You'll have to get the story yourselves from him -- no doubt it will be here in his blog, told in the way only the Irish can manage :) By the way, I'm Irish & I didn't get that gift. I got the height (ha ha).
I'll update this blog when he gets into Kathmandu. And then I'm giving it back to him. Gladly!
Thank you all for your amazing emails, texts, calls, prayers, love & support. Some of you were afraid you were bothering me -- quite the opposite. You were holding me up. I am forever grateful for our amazing friends & family, & those who I don't even know who were there to help anyway. Truly amazing people you are.
A super grateful Kathy
p.s. Satellite phone reception isn't the best on the mountain, so I couldn't always hear Pat very well. When he was spelling the name of his sat phone service so I could add more minutes, he had to use the NATO alphabet (alpha, beta, charlie) -- but he didn't know which word to use for the letter U, so he said urethra. REALLY?! I laughed so hard.
The plan is for him, along with 3 of his climbing mates James, Sam & Alex, to get picked up tomorrow morning Nepal time, & flown into Kathmandu off the mountain. They will see a completely different city than the one they flew into. But they've seen that at Base Camp too. Pat said his tent was right up against the ridge where the avalanche hit. He found his stuff, and miraculously, all that happened was that his tent was flipped over. I'm glad he wasn't in it.
He told me what happened to him up at Camp 1. You'll have to get the story yourselves from him -- no doubt it will be here in his blog, told in the way only the Irish can manage :) By the way, I'm Irish & I didn't get that gift. I got the height (ha ha).
I'll update this blog when he gets into Kathmandu. And then I'm giving it back to him. Gladly!
Thank you all for your amazing emails, texts, calls, prayers, love & support. Some of you were afraid you were bothering me -- quite the opposite. You were holding me up. I am forever grateful for our amazing friends & family, & those who I don't even know who were there to help anyway. Truly amazing people you are.
A super grateful Kathy
p.s. Satellite phone reception isn't the best on the mountain, so I couldn't always hear Pat very well. When he was spelling the name of his sat phone service so I could add more minutes, he had to use the NATO alphabet (alpha, beta, charlie) -- but he didn't know which word to use for the letter U, so he said urethra. REALLY?! I laughed so hard.
Monday, April 27, 2015
YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, you know it!!!!!!! Global Rescue got him down from Camp 1!!!!!! Pat is now at Base Camp waiting for the others to make it down, and looking for his stuff. He said Base Camp looked "flattened" & was unrecognizable. So now they have to figure out where their camp had been to find their gear. The next folks coming down are Alex and 2 Sherpa. The chopper was just landing with them when Pat called.
Global Rescue just called to make sure Pat made it on the transport down to EBC and the next step will be to get him to Lukla, where the airport he wrote about many moons ago, exists on the side of the mountain. That's the trip back to Kathmandu. That will be another adventure, but for now, I'm SO AMPED I CAN'T SLEEP!!!! AND I NEED TO! :)
Yay.
See what your prayers, positive thoughts & vibes have done :)
Global Rescue just called to make sure Pat made it on the transport down to EBC and the next step will be to get him to Lukla, where the airport he wrote about many moons ago, exists on the side of the mountain. That's the trip back to Kathmandu. That will be another adventure, but for now, I'm SO AMPED I CAN'T SLEEP!!!! AND I NEED TO! :)
Yay.
See what your prayers, positive thoughts & vibes have done :)
Still waiting for helis...
Hi all,
10pm EST and just spoke to Pat. They're all packed up & waiting for the helis to come. I've been in constant contact with Global Rescue -- they know they're waiting & the plan is to get them out today & at least down to Basecamp. But the choppers fly by Visual Flight Rules (new term I just learned) because they don't have the equipment to do otherwise. That means they can't fly if they can't see. And right now they can't see. We're waiting for a weather window to get them out.
Good news is the sun is shining at Camp 1 & Pat was happy to get warm! Weather comes up the mountain from the valley so even though they have clear skies, it's not clear below. Global Rescue is working hard to get them out of there. These guys are great & I appreciate everything they're doing. I'm staying in contact with Pat, hoping to chat in another hour to update him & vice versa.
Please keep sending your prayers, positive thoughts and good vibes to blow those clouds away & get these guys off the mountain! Many, many thanks to you all for your love & support, & for not letting me feel alone in this. I can't tell you how much this helps.
Much gratitude,
Kathy
10pm EST and just spoke to Pat. They're all packed up & waiting for the helis to come. I've been in constant contact with Global Rescue -- they know they're waiting & the plan is to get them out today & at least down to Basecamp. But the choppers fly by Visual Flight Rules (new term I just learned) because they don't have the equipment to do otherwise. That means they can't fly if they can't see. And right now they can't see. We're waiting for a weather window to get them out.
Good news is the sun is shining at Camp 1 & Pat was happy to get warm! Weather comes up the mountain from the valley so even though they have clear skies, it's not clear below. Global Rescue is working hard to get them out of there. These guys are great & I appreciate everything they're doing. I'm staying in contact with Pat, hoping to chat in another hour to update him & vice versa.
Please keep sending your prayers, positive thoughts and good vibes to blow those clouds away & get these guys off the mountain! Many, many thanks to you all for your love & support, & for not letting me feel alone in this. I can't tell you how much this helps.
Much gratitude,
Kathy
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PEM
PEM
Latitude:27.98879
Longitude:86.87748
GPS location Date/Time:04/27/2015 19:48:05 EDT
Message:Climbing in Mt. Everest right now. All is well; please check the map to see our progress.
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/N6SCd/27.98879N/86.87748E
If the above link does not work, try this link:
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PEM
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Latitude:27.98879
Longitude:86.87748
GPS location Date/Time:04/27/2015 19:48:05 EDT
Message:Climbing in Mt. Everest right now. All is well; please check the map to see our progress.
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/N6SCd/27.98879N/86.87748E
If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=27.98879,86.87748&ll=27.98879,86.87748&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
PEM
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Still waiting for the helis
It's 8am on Monday EST, and I spoke with Pat throughout the night. Helicopters had been coming to Camp 1, and everyone but the Summit Climb team has left. It seems a few different decisions were being made -- whether to climb down, whether to wait it out a bit because of rumors of chaos at Base Camp, and whether they could actually get on the flights because of their insurance policies. In the case of rescue, climbing insurance companies will send flights to pick climbers up. So they thought they needed to get on flights sent by their insurance, but here, that's not the case. I spoke to Global Rescue (who have been fantastic) & they said these flights are all part of the government rescue, so anybody can get on them. So now Pat & his team know.
The flights have stopped for the day -- they don't have the instruments to fly at night. Global Rescue said they should resume tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will be good. I asked Pat who is on the mountain with them -- they are the last people up there as far as they know. These are all people with Summit Climb:
2 Romanian climbers (couldn't catch their names)
Meti from Finland (sorry about the spelling)
Pat & Jim from the U.S.
Sam & Alex, Pat's climbing buddies from the UK
Dan Mazur, Summit Climb's expedition leader
8 Sherpa (didn't get their names)
I spoke to Pat and Sam, and they sound good. Global Rescue knows they have provisions for a few days & knows they're waiting. Someone told me they had read a post that said that Dan Mazur said they were at Base Camp. They are not. They're at Camp 1 waiting to be picked up.
All your prayers, thoughts & positive vibes needed to clear the skies tomorrow morning so the helicopters can get in & they can get off the mountain!
Thank you everyone :)
Kathy
The flights have stopped for the day -- they don't have the instruments to fly at night. Global Rescue said they should resume tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will be good. I asked Pat who is on the mountain with them -- they are the last people up there as far as they know. These are all people with Summit Climb:
2 Romanian climbers (couldn't catch their names)
Meti from Finland (sorry about the spelling)
Pat & Jim from the U.S.
Sam & Alex, Pat's climbing buddies from the UK
Dan Mazur, Summit Climb's expedition leader
8 Sherpa (didn't get their names)
I spoke to Pat and Sam, and they sound good. Global Rescue knows they have provisions for a few days & knows they're waiting. Someone told me they had read a post that said that Dan Mazur said they were at Base Camp. They are not. They're at Camp 1 waiting to be picked up.
All your prayers, thoughts & positive vibes needed to clear the skies tomorrow morning so the helicopters can get in & they can get off the mountain!
Thank you everyone :)
Kathy
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